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Wrapping my arm around my brother’s shoulders, I glare at them all. “Your loss, assholes. My brother and I have more talent in our little fingers than all of you combined. But I wish you all the best of luck. You will most certainly need it when I sue the label. Oh. And good luck with the new guy.”
One by one, the guys leave the room, Ty going out last.
He stops at the door, then turns to us. “You have a half hour to get your shit out of these hotel rooms. Whatever is left after that becomes hotel property.”
“Thanks so much, you fucking bastard.” I move quickly to close the door before I do something I’ll regret, like bashing the fucker’s face in. I lean back on the door after slamming it, seething. “I knew it was just a matter of time before I was out, but what they did to you is criminal.”
Ares just grins. “I wouldn’t have stayed anyway.”
“And why not?”
“Because you’re my brother.”
I look at him with my mouth hanging open. “So?”
“This whole journey has been about me and you. We learned how to make music together. I played the keys, and you sang the songs. We got into the band together. That was our thing, and now you ruined it. You ruined it because you want the best of both worlds. Well, people don’t get both. You have to pick one. And you picked the girls.”
“I can have both.” If Lucy ever comes to her senses, but at least I can have Aurora in my life now.
With a hearty laugh, he shakes his head. “No, you can’t. No one can. You can’t be a rockstar and tour the world, while keeping a family intact. It can’t be done. But the truth is, I don’t think I can blame you.”
“They are every bit as much my family as they are yours, Ares.” I want him to understand that. “Aurora is my blood, so she is your blood. Besides, I’ve been a rockstar. Hated every second of it.”
“What about your fans, Lo? What about the people who made you? You haven’t thought about your fans at all.”
“I have. But I realized the true fans, the ones who like me for me won’t care if I’m playing stadiums or the dump across their street. True fans will come to me wherever I am. And I want to be here.”
I have a child. A daughter who needs her father. And I will never turn my back on her for anyone. True fans will understand and support me in my decisions. And whoever doesn’t can just go fuck themselves.
“But just so we are clear, Ares, I’m not done making music. I’m just going to do it my way from now on. And, since you’re not in the band anymore, you can be a part of that. Back to our roots we go. And trust me, our fans will follow us.”
“What if you’re wrong?”
“I’m not. Besides, we have enough money to last us at least three lifetimes. And loving your family is never wrong.” I pat him on the back. “Now, I have to go get my things before I lose them forever. We can get rooms in another hotel. Meet me in the lobby, and we’ll go from there.”
“Where the hell do we go now?”
Before I can say a thing, my phone rings, and I pull it out of my pocket to see Lani’s name on the screen. “Why is she calling me?”
Answering the call, I ask, “Lani, is everything okay?”
“No. There’s been an accident.” Bursting into tears, she gasps, “They’re in the hospital!”
24
Lucy
The nurse puts a bandage across the bridge of my nose. “Thank goodness you two had on your seatbelts. I have seen people come in after accidents like the one you were in, with such severe injuries that they had to have surgery. And some didn’t even make it to the hospital, their injuries were so bad. A little nick from the airbag isn’t so bad, Miss Bennet.”
“No, it’s not.” I know we’re lucky. I hug my daughter, thanking my lucky stars again that we are both here and both safe. “But there wouldn’t have been an accident at all if the damn paparazzi hadn’t been dead set on taking pictures of me and my daughter. I’m pressing charges on all of them. I want them all punished for what they did to us.”
“Are they back here?” Apollo’s voice comes from outside of our room.
I’m not ready to face him yet, ashamed of my behavior.
But after this happened, I’m even more dead set about staying away from him.
I may love him with every fiber of my being, but his fame did this. We could be dead by now.
